(LOS ANGELES, CA -- November 8th, 2018) The International Documentary Association (IDA) has unveiled the nominees for the 2018 IDA Documentary Awards Best Audio Documentary. This is the first year for the category. The annual event is the world's most prestigious event dedicated to the documentary genre. Winners of the 34th edition will be announced at the ceremony on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at Paramount Studios, Los Angeles. Get tickets at: http://documentary.org/awards/tickets.

The Audio Documentary category celebrates the best in nonfiction storytelling in Radio & Podcast. In its inaugural year, submissions of both stand-alone and documentary episodic series were eligible to qualify.

The nominees for Best Audio Documentary include 30 for 30 Podcasts: Bikram, ESPN’s deep dive into the complicated world of Bikram yoga; Caliphate, New York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi’s quest to understand ISIS; Heavyweight—Episode: Jesse, which follows a man’s attempt to find and thank the driver that hit and nearly killed him; Latino USA—Episode: The Quevedos, producer Sayre Quevedo’s journey to understand what happened to his grandmother, the secrets that his mother kept from him, and the family that he never knew; and Slow Burn Season 2, a look back at Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, and the scandal that nearly ended a presidency.

“We have all been transported to other worlds through the simple act of putting in our earbuds and hitting play. Audio documentaries, whether they be long-form podcast series or stand-alone radio documentaries, have become one of the most exciting forms of nonfiction storytelling. With this award we recognize the unique intimacy, inventiveness, and creativity of audio storytelling.” said Simon Kilmurry, executive director of IDA.

At the heart of the event is the IDA's commitment to documentary film and its unique power to drive us toward a more complex, human understanding of ourselves and each other. The IDA, provides year-round support, education, and advocacy for documentary makers. In particular, the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, with major support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, has awarded over $1.9 million dollars to support in-depth explorations of original, contemporary stories that integrate journalistic practice into the filmmaking process.